Press cage comprising wall plates and coupler parts

ABSTRACT

A press cage includes first and second wall plates, the first wall plate being orthogonal with respect to the second wall plate, the first wall plate including a machined indentation located on a face of the first wall plate, and the second wall plate including a machined indentation located on a face of the second wall plate, the machined indentations of the first and second wall plates being adjacent to one another. A coupler assembly includes coupler parts that are locked together, a first coupler part of the coupler parts fixed to the machined indentation of the first wall plate, and a second coupler part of the coupler parts fixed to the machined indentation of the second wall plate.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/282,050, filed Oct. 26, 2011, which is hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND

A press machine (hereinafter referred to as “press”) typically includes large and heavy drums that are made to roll during the printing process and transfer an image onto a substrate that is pressed by and made to travel between the drums. Old presses typically include frames made of assembled planar plates forming the walls of the frame. Assembly procedures of such frames are typically prone to adjustment problems and the alignment between rear and front walls is many times not satisfactory. Features are added to walls in order to address these problems, but machining these features requires machining of walls at their narrow lateral facet. In order to accomplish this special adaptors (“knees”) on CNC machines are used, which affect precision and increase cost. On the other hand, handling, shipment and storage of machined plates in any stage of production is fairly easy. Recent frame designs are based on a “monolithic” cage. In producing a monolithic cage both rear and front sides of the cage are machined at once using a very large and precise milling machine, thus bypassing a long chain of tolerances that would have otherwise been needed, and eliminating assembly. First the cage is cast, then runners are removed and then the cage is subjected to machining in two stages—rough and final. Connecting and stabilizing beams connect the front wall to the rear wall, and bestow rigidity, stiffness and dimensional stability to the cage. In a monolithic cage those beams are cast along with the rear and front walls. Since outside dimensions of the cage determine the type and size of the milling machine capable of machining it, all connecting beams are designed to remain within the outermost perimeter of the cage. Machining requirements, especially part size and accuracy, impose a “size barrier” on the cage and there are only few machines available with such combinations of part size and accuracy.

The number and size of beams in a monolithic cage of a press are limited since the printing press is densely populated and a connecting beam may interfere with mounting and dismounting procedures of sub units of the cage. Size barrier and components density within the cage result in fewer beams, and the remaining beams have thin cross section. This consequently lowers the natural frequency of the cage. Loosing rigidity in this design also affects machining accuracy and dimensional stability of the cage, since fixing the cage on a CNC machine is more difficult. Logistics, too, is complex with monolithic cage design.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Examples of the present invention are described in the following detailed description and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a press cage comprising wall plates connected by coupler assemblies, in accordance with an example.

FIG. 2 illustrates a detail of the press cage shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3A illustrates a cross-sectional view of a coupler assembly for coupling two adjacent orthogonal walls, in accordance with an example.

FIG. 3B illustrates an isometric view of the coupler shown in FIG. 3A

FIG. 4 illustrates an isometric view of a coupler assembly for coupling three adjacent orthogonal walls, in accordance with an example.

FIG. 5 illustrates a machines indentation of a wall plate of a press cage, in accordance with an example.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 illustrates a press cage 100 comprising wall plates connected by coupler assemblies, in accordance with an example. A pair of opposing support wall plates, 106 a and 106 b, may include three pairs of opposing circular bores 112 a and 112 b, 114 a and 114 b and 116 a and 116 b, (respectively) for supporting the ends of press drums (not shown in the figure) and maintaining the drums in an accurate alignment with respect to each other.

The opposing support wall plates 106 a and 106 b may be solid enough to withstand weight and the forces exerted by the drums when in operation, and may further include apertures 103 a and 103 b, respectively, to allow convenient access to the inside of the cage through these wall plates. Two additional pairs of side wall plates—102 a and 102 b, and 104 a and 104 b, respectively—complete the formation of the cage. The side wall plates may be provided in the form of frames (peripheral beams defining a large window within), so as to allow convenient access to the inside of the cage through the side walls.

Wall plates 102 a, 102 b, 104 a, 104 b, 106 a and 106 b of cage 100 do not necessarily need to be fully machined to offer accurate positioning and alignment. Instead, only predetermined locations on the broad facets (the “faces”) of the plates, adjacent to the edges of the plates, may be machined to obtain machined indentations 118 exhibiting local accuracy. Machined indentations 118 of adjacent wall plates are designed to match and correlate so as to allow connecting the adjacent wall plates using coupler assemblies of at least two kinds—coupler assembly 110 for coupling two adjacent orthogonal wall plates, and coupler assembly 160 for coupling three adjacent orthogonal wall plates, as described and discussed hereinafter. According to an example an indentation is machined opposingly on both sides of the wall plate, exhibiting a narrower section of the wall plate with enhanced local accuracy.

FIG. 2 illustrates a detail of press cage 100 shown in FIG. 1.

Predetermined locations on the broad facets (the “faces”) of the wall plates, adjacent to the edges of the plates may be machined in the form of indentations 118. Indentations 118 located along the edge of a wall plate may be used for abutting coupler assemblies 110 for coupling two adjacent orthogonal wall plates, and indentations 118 located at corners of the wall plates may be used for abutting coupler assemblies 160 for coupling three adjacent orthogonal wall plates. Note that coupler assembly 110 for coupling two adjacent orthogonal wall plates, may comprise two identical parts (e.g. 110 a, and see also FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B)—each of which is to be fixed to one of corresponding indentations 118, positioned in matching locations along the edges of two adjacent wall plates, whereas coupler assembly 160 for coupling three adjacent orthogonal wall plates may comprise three identical parts (e.g. 160 a, 160 b, 160 c, see also FIG. 4), each of which is to be fixed to a corresponding indentation 118 at a shared corner of three adjacent orthogonal wall plates.

FIG. 3A illustrates a cross-sectional view of coupler assembly 110 for coupling two adjacent orthogonal wall plates, in accordance with an example. FIG. 3B illustrates an isometric view of the coupler shown in FIG. 3A

Coupler assembly 110 may comprise two identical coupler parts 110 a and 110 b, each of which is designed to be separately fixed to corresponding indentations 118 (see FIG. 1 and FIG. 2) and them locked together to form a rigid coupler. Each of coupler parts 110 a and 11 b includes a facet—133 a and 133 b respectively) which is designed to be placed in contact with its corresponding indentation 118.

Coupler part 110 a (and 110 b respectively) may be fixed to its corresponding indentation 118 by inserting a screw, 132 a (and 132 b respectively) through a bore 138 a (and 138 b respectively) passing through the coupler part, and threading it into a bore (not shown) through the machined indentation 118 of the wall plate and securing it firmly by nut 136 a (and 136 b respectively). The head of the screw is designed to rest on shoulder 135 a (and 135 b respectively) within bore 138 a (and 138 b respectively).

Coupler parts 110 a and 110 b include internally facing facets (139 a and 139 b in FIG. 3B) which are designed to be matchingly placed in contact. In an example, a void 141 may be located between the internally facing facets of the coupler parts. In an example, some of the internally facing facets 139 a and 139 b may be machined inwardly, creating void 141 between the juxtaposed coupler parts 110 a and 110 b. Bore 152 may extend across the internally facing facets to accommodate locking screw 130. Circular flanges, 140 and 142, may be provided on either sides of bore 152, on which fastening ring 148 and 150 may be placed and pressed firmly by caps 144 and 146 respectively, which are forced against each other by locking screw 130. Fastening ring 148 may be conical and slotted to facilitate appropriate fastening.

Protrusions 134 a and 134 b are designed to act as quasi-kinematic teeth locking the coupler parts in their respective position, by inserting protrusions 134 a and 134 b into matching longitudinal grooves (see FIG. 5) located on the machined facet of indentation 118, that allow motion along a radial axis with respect to the plane of the machined facet of the wall plate in which screw 132 a (and 132 b respectively) is inserted, but prevents motion in other directions along that plane.

To fit orthogonal wall configuration for the press cage, facets 133 a and 133 b, which are to be placed in contact with their corresponding indentations are planned to define 90 degrees between them, whereas the internally facing facets 139 a and 139 b define a shared plane which is 45 degrees with respect to either facets 133 a and 133 b. The shared plane may be inclined in other angles with respect to facets 133 a and 133 b, but if the coupler parts are to be identical then it is inclined in 45 degrees with respects to facets 133 a and 133 b, equally dividing the angle defined between these facets.

FIG. 4 illustrates an isometric view of coupler assembly 160 for coupling three adjacent orthogonal wall plates, in accordance with an example. Coupler assembly 160 may include three identical coupler parts 160 a, 160 b and 160 c, whose design may be similar to the design of the coupler parts of coupler assembly 110 (see for example FIG. 3 a). Facets 170 a, 170 b and 170 c, which are designed to be placed in contact with indentations 118 at a corner of the orthogonal wall plates define three mutually orthogonal planes. These facets may include protrusions (e.g. 165 c) for insertion into matching grooves on the machined facets of the indentations (like 134 a, 134 b of FIGS. 3A and 3B).

Each coupler part, 160 a, 160 b and 160 c is fixed to its corresponding wall plate by screw 167 a, 167 c (the third screw not seen in this figure as it is hidden behind the coupler assembly) and corresponding nuts 166 a, 166 b and 166 c.

Internally facing facets (not shown in the figure), each coupler part having two such facing facets, each designed to face a corresponding facet of either of the other two coupler parts. Thus three shared planes between the coupler parts define sectors of 60 degrees.

The three coupler parts share a bore in which a locking screw is accommodated, with a fastening ring (not shown—see FIG. 3A) and matching cap 164 and 168 respectively (similarly to the arrangement in FIG. 3A, with the obvious adjustments to facilitate a three piece coupler assembly instead of a two-piece coupler assembly).

FIG. 5 illustrates a machined indentation of a wall plate of a press cage, in accordance with an example.

Wall plate 104 a may include indentation 118, which may be accurately machined to the desired dimensions. Bore 182 may be provided for accommodating a screw for fixing a coupler part to that indentation. Longitudinal grooves 180 a, 180 b and 180 c may be provided on the facet of indentation 118, arranged in a radial orientation with respect to bore 182, and which may accommodate corresponding protrusions on the facet on the coupler part which is designed to be placed in contact with the indentation. In doing so the alignment and orientation of the coupler part may be well defined and maintained.

Thanks to the short chain of tolerances and the high repeatability of kinematic coupling, the accumulated mismatch of assembled coupler parts may reflect CNC machining positional accuracy, with error small enough to be within elastic deflection of all assembled parts.

Building a press cage using wall plates which are only machined in predetermined locations on the facing facets of the plates, as well as using coupler assemblies in accordance with the examples, allows retaining the advantages of using plates for building a press cage instead of machining huge structures while eliminating many disadvantages traditionally associated with plates.

In this design, there is practically no adjustment required to achieve alignment and accuracy. The coupler assemblies facilitate increasing the size of the frame outside the cage with practically no size barrier (or at least greatly increasing possible dimensions for press cages, previously limited by the size of the milling equipment. Positioning the beams of the wall plates outside the space within the cage leaves a “beam free” void within the cage which may be used. In accordance with examples, there is only “face milling” of the wall plates and no need for milling lateral faces of the plates. The use of quasi-kinematic fastening arrangement allows for precise fastening of the wall plates together. Thus, high accuracy of alignment may be reached between the opposing supporting walls. Assembly of a press cage thus only requires placing the coupler parts in place and use screws with no further adjustment.

The cage wall plates, as well as coupler parts of the coupler assembly, in accordance with examples, may be made from various rigid and durable materials, such as, for example, metals (e.g. steel, aluminum). Other materials may be considered as well. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A press cage comprising: first and second wall plates, the first wall plate being orthogonal with respect to the second wall plate, the first wall plate comprising a machined indentation located on a face of the first wall plate, and the second wall plate comprising a machined indentation located on a face of the second wall plate, the machined indentations of the first and second wall plates being adjacent to one another; and a coupler assembly comprising coupler parts that are locked together, a first coupler part of the coupler parts fixed to the machined indentation of the first wall plate, and a second coupler part of the coupler parts fixed to the machined indentation of the second wall plate.
 2. The press cage of claim 1, wherein the coupler parts are identical.
 3. The press cage of claim 1, wherein the coupler assembly is to couple the first and second wall plates that are adjacent and orthogonal to one another.
 4. The press cage of claim 1, further comprising a third wall plate, wherein the coupler assembly is to couple the first, second, and third wall plates that are adjacent and orthogonal to one another.
 5. The press cage of claim 4, wherein the coupler assembly further comprises a third coupler part locked to the first and second coupler parts, the third coupler part fixed to a machined indentation on a face of the third wall plate.
 6. The press cage of claim 1, wherein each respective coupler part of the coupler parts includes a bore for accommodating a screw to fix the respective coupler part to the machined indentation of a respective wall plate of the first and second wall plates.
 7. The press cage of claim 6, wherein a bore extends between internally facing facets of the coupler parts to accommodate a locking screw.
 8. The press cage of claim 7, wherein the coupler parts comprise respective flanges provided on respective different sides of the bore, and the press cage further comprises a fastening ring placed over the flanges.
 9. The press cage of claim 1, wherein machined indentations are placed opposingly on both sides of each wall plate of the wall plates.
 10. The press cage of claim 1, wherein each of the coupler parts comprises: an outer facet to contact the machined indentation of a respective wall plate of the first and second wall plates, the outer facet including a first member to engage a second member of the machined indentation of the respective wall plate, the first member including a protrusion to engage a groove of the second member, the outer facet of one of the coupler parts being orthogonal to the outer facet of another one of the coupler parts, and the coupler parts having adjacent internally facing facets, wherein the coupler parts are identical, wherein a bore extends between the internally facing facets of the coupler parts, and the press cage further comprises a locking mechanism comprising a locking screw extending through the bore to lock the coupler parts together.
 11. The press cage of claim 10, wherein the internally facing facet of the first coupler part is angled with respect to the outer facet of the first coupler part, and the internally facing facet of the second coupler part is angled with respect to the outer facet of the second coupler part.
 12. The press cage of claim 11, wherein the internally facing facet of the first coupler part is at a 45° angle with respect to the outer facet of the first coupler part, and the internally facing facet of the second coupler part is at a 45° angle with respect to the outer facet of the second coupler part.
 13. The press cage of claim 1, wherein the coupler parts are made of metal.
 14. A method of forming a press cage, comprising: arranging a first wall plate to be orthogonal with respect to a second wall plate, the first wall plate comprising a machined indentation located on a face of the first wall plate, and the second wall plate comprising a machined indentation located on a face of the second wall plate, the machined indentations of the first and second wall plates being adjacent to one another; and coupling, by a coupler assembly comprising coupler parts that are locked together, the first and second wall plates together, a first coupler part of the coupler parts fixed to the machined indentation of the first wall plate, and a second coupler part of the coupler parts fixed to the machined indentation of the second wall plate.
 15. The method of claim 14, wherein the coupler parts are identical.
 16. The method of claim 14, further comprising coupling, by the coupler assembly, a third wall plate to the first and second wall plates, the first, second, and third wall plates being adjacent and orthogonal to one another.
 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the coupler assembly further comprises a third coupler part locked to the first and second coupler parts, the third coupler part fixed to a machined indentation on a face of the third wall plate.
 18. The method of claim 14, further comprising providing a bore in each respective coupler part of the coupler parts for accommodating a screw to fix the respective coupler part to the machined indentation of a respective wall plate of the first and second wall plates.
 19. The method of claim 14, wherein each of the coupler parts comprises: an outer facet to contact the machined indentation of a respective wall plate of the first and second wall plates, the outer facet including a first member to engage a second member of the machined indentation of the respective wall plate, the first member including a protrusion to engage a groove of the second member, the outer facet of one of the coupler parts being orthogonal to the outer facet of another one of the coupler parts, and the coupler parts having adjacent internally facing facets, wherein the coupler parts are identical, wherein a bore extends between the internally facing facets of the coupler parts, and the method further comprising extending a locking screw through the bore to lock the coupler parts together.
 20. The press cage of claim 19, wherein the internally facing facet of the first coupler part is angled with respect to the outer facet of the first coupler part, and the internally facing facet of the second coupler part is angled with respect to the outer facet of the second coupler part. 